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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · rule · wind · mark · spell · hide · jam · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rule — a law
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. rash — hasty
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. spell — magic
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mine — for digging
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com